Way Home
by K-Unit
Summary: So many stories are about physical torture, but what about psychological torture. Alex never imagined such horrors, and he's not alone. The chances of escape are low when a mad man wants you to die. Violence. Character Deaths. M. K-unit, Tom, Sabina, Jack.


Alex Rider woke up with a pounding headache, it felt like a tiny woodpecker was on the inside trying to peck its way out. After managing to think past the pain, he registered the darkness, he couldn't see a thing, was he blind? He felt the panic set in and twitched slightly. A scuffle made him freeze, he wasn't alone?

"Hold on a minute." The gruff voice was closer to him than he'd expected and he jumped slightly. There were fingers at his neck, Alex didn't know what this man was doing but he remained still since the fingers hadn't tried to strangle him. Yet. Finally the fingers left his neck, and he felt fabric rubbing against his cheeks. It had been a sack, tied around his neck so he couldn't see anything.

At first the light blinded him, everything was so white, it was painful to look at. He squeezed his eyes shut, then blinked a few times to let them adjust. Finally he could see properly. Not only was there the man who had untied him but there was three other men two, and two people whose faces were covered with sacks like his had been. That wasn't the worst part however, not at all, the worst part was that the four men whom he could see, were Wolf, Eagle, Snake and Ben also known as Fox.

"Cub?" Alex looked at Eagle, who had spoken. The urge to ask questions was almost unbearable, so he gave in.

"Who are they?" He asked, nodding towards the two people, his hands were still tied behind his back. Wolf realised this and set to work untying them.

"We don't know, we're going to untie them once we've untied you." Ben said, quietly, his face creased in worry.

Once Alex was fully untied, Eagle moved to the first person and began untying the rope on his next, the person immediately began to thrash in panic.

"Get off me! My best friend's a spy, he'll kill you! I swear, you'll never live once he's here. Get off!" Alex recognised the voice straightaway, it was his best friend, Tom. He groaned in dread, how could he let him be kidnapped?

"Tom! I'm here too, calm down." Alex said, loud enough for the struggling boy to hear, he must have done so because he relaxed enough to let Eagle remove the sack from his head.

"Alex? What are we doing here?" Tom asked fearfully, looking at the Eagle in shock.

"Just going to untie your hands, kid." Eagle muttered, then indicated for Snake to untie the last person.

"Why not untie us all at once?" Tom asked, rather bravely.

"If you attempted to attack us, it would be harder to stop all three of you than just one." Ben said. Tom nodded in understanding.

Alex's attention was drawn by Snake's low oath.

"I demand that you let me go this second." There was only one girl Alex knew that spoke like that, and Alex really hoped she hadn't been caught.

"I'm sorry miss, but I can't, I got caught too." Snake said.

Yes, there was no mistaking those freckles and blue eyes, not to mention the pretty, dark hair.

"Sabina?" He said, it was final, he'd put his best friend and girl friend in danger, again.

"Alex." She relaxed once she saw him, and allowed Snake to untie her hands. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, I woke up with Wolf untying me."

"Wolf?"

"I'm Wolf, and this is Eagle, Snake and Fox, but he goes by Ben now." Wolf said. Sabina's eyes widened.

"You're the unit that Alex trained with." She said.

"How do you know that? Cub, you better not have told her anything important." Wolf threatened.

"Well, he didn't tell me he was called Cub," Sabina smirked. "How cute, Cubby."

Alex smiled at her, "Never call me that again, Miss Pleasure." He said formally, despite his smile.

"What's wrong with Cubby?" She said.

"I kinda like it." Tom piped up.

"Don't you start." Alex scolded.

"Well, MI6 really does recruit _children_." The voice was unfamiliar and cold. It made Alex tense and fear ran through his veins. "It's nice to meet you Mr Rider, I have been waiting a very long time. My name, of course, is Dr Three."

"What do you want with us?" Alex said stoically.

"Well, young Alex, I want to cause you pain, pain like you've never experienced before and then by the end you will beg me for death, and I shall watch you slowly die, watch the life fade from your eyes as you draw your last breaths."

"I will never beg you for anything." Alex spat.

"Oh you will, and it shall start with the death of someone you love very much." Two men escorted a struggling redheaded woman into the room, her face was boyish and afraid. Her eyes met with Alex's and in that moment he regretted accepting MI6's first deal, if she'd been deported she'd be perfectly safe and at home crying over the latest death in Eastenders.

"Don't." Alex said weakly. Jack looked at him desperately, her eyes pleading with him to save her. She didn't want to die so young, she had her whole life ahead of her, but she couldn't let Alex down.

"I thought you would _never_ beg, Alex." Dr Three smirked.

"I'm not, I'm telling you to let her go." Dr Three laughed, it was a spine chilling chuckle that made Alex's blood run cold and in that moment he knew that he wouldn't make it out of the place alive.

"Are you ready, Alex, for the torture to start?"

Ben grabbed Alex's shoulders to stop him from jumping forward.

"It's nice meeting you all." Three laughed and turned away.

Alex let his breath rush out in relief, Jack was still alive, they didn't kill her.

It happened in slow motion, Alex saw the knife flash through the air, he screamed and tried to stop it but it lodged itself in her stomach. Alex caught her as she fell and held her gently.

"Help her." He pleaded, looking up at Snake's devastated expression.

"I'm so sorry, Cub, but-"

"No, you have to save her." He said, his vision blurred with tears. He ignored the looks of pity and held the woman who had supported him endlessly, even when he was wrong. She was unconscious, her pulse slow, and breaths coming out in short, shallow gasps.

Alex didn't care that he was covered in blood, he just held her, silently thanking her for everything she had done for him. He apologised repeatedly for the times he had made her worried or angry and for her loss of life.

The other members in the white room, watching silently, their hearts breaking for the suddenly very young looking boy and his guardian. Sabina had loved Jacks positive outlooks on life and optimistic plans for the future.

When Jack no longer breathed Alex sat in the corner, eyes closed, unable to look at the empty shell of the woman who had taught him so much.

* * *

**AN**

**I do not own Alex Rider.**

**Wow, intense stuff huh? You were warned. How many more will die or be hurt? Who will make it out? Will any of them?**


End file.
